Boston Bruins Send Noel Acciari to Providence
Boston Bruins Send Noel Acciari to Providence of the AHL
According to the Boston Bruins official website, Noel Acciari has been sent to Providence. The 25-year-old has played in 19 games this season in Boston and has recorded two assists and four penalty minutes. While Acciari isn’t known for his offense, it’s his tough style of play that the Bruins like. At the time of his assignment to Providence, Acciari ranks third on the team with 2.3 hits per game.
Right now, the Bruins are looking for a more well-rounded, four line team. While Acciari isn’t a bad player, the team has a multitude of options in their bottom six that they’re looking to explore. In 38 career NHL games, Acciari has totaled three assists and 12 penalty minutes. The 5-foot-10, 208-pound forward will now look to give a boost to the Providence Bruins while waiting for his next NHL call-up.
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In 46 games in the AHL, Acciari has scored seven goals and 20 points. Acciari has experience playing in Providence given the fact that he was born in Johnston, Rhode Island and played for three seasons with Providence College before signing as an undrafted free agent with the Boston Bruins.
Solidifying the Team
For Boston, the team needs to solidify their bottom-six with fast, reliable players who can also provide depth scoring. Gone are the days where teams focus on pure grinders to fill out their bottom lines. While grinders still have a role in the game, depth scoring and energy is also needed to win.
Related Story: Bruins Inquired About Gabriel Landeskog
With recent rumors emerging regarding the Bruins and Gabriel Landeskog, it looks like the team could be trying to shift some players down the lineup. If the team is able to acquire Landeskog, they could realistically shuffle their lines with a top-six player sliding into a third line role. When that happens, the third line player would shift to the fourth line, which could provide more balance on the team.
Next: Zane McIntyre Shining in Providence
Only time will tell what the Bruins plan on doing to get better. The team has already made a conscious effort by inquiring about Landeskog and by waiving Anton Khudobin, however. It seems like an obvious move to waive one goalie in Khudobin, who’s struggling, while another in McIntyre is shining. Obvious, but not necessarily something the team might have done in the past. This is progress – hopefully, the team continues to make these decisions moving forward, though the clock is ticking on the 2016-17 season.